01 March 2009
Withdrawal from Iraq? Not So Fast.
As we approach the sixth anniversary of the Iraq War,
the Obama Administration has revealed its plan to withdraw U.S. troops and end our combat mission by August 31, 2010. The President announced that 50,000 troops will remain in a support role until December 31, 2011. Democrats in Congress largely disapprove of President Obama's plan, while key Republicans such as John McCain (R-AZ) think the plan is fair. Regardless of the political response, the President's announcement illustrates an important reality for voters that may not appear obvious; regardless of the campaign promises and the political slogans, regardless of the unpopularity of the previous administration's policies, a president will almost always listen to his commanders on the ground and respond practically and realistically.
While it would seem like Obama the pragmatist has really changed course from his predecessor, recent history proves otherwise. President Bush, whom Obama had called previous to his announcement, struck a deal with the Iraqis for a phased withdrawal that would have removed most combat troops from Iraq a little later than 18 months. Having secured the presidency, Mr. Obama has extended his campaign promise for a withdrawal by two months and decided to keep 50,000 "support" troops in Iraq until the end of 2011. Yet, political rhetoric aside, these young men and women will be in combat, and they will continue to die in combat. The President's plan largely hinges on the Iraqi government's ability to maintain functioning schools, electricity and water facilities, and economic infrastructure.
There are currently 142,000 troops in Iraq. At the time of this writing, the Department of Defense has confirmed the deaths of 4,251 American soldiers there, with over 30,000 wounded. Most analysts project the Iraq War will cost the U.S. over $2 trillion in total. Admittedly, President Obama's plan is certainly a step in the right direction, but we should not be fooled by the politics that are ever-present in the speeches of our elected leaders.
Regardless of what the administration says, the United States will stay in Iraq or its neighborhood for the forseeable future, which will continue to cost us billions of dollars. The region is politically and militarily unstable and houses some of the most low-cost oil reserves. We have already had a major presence there for some 50 years.
The President has made some admirable proposals to address the domestic effects of the war. In his recent budget proposal, which aims to spend an almost unprecedented $3.6 trillion, he is seeking a 15% increase in veterans funding. The Department of Veterans Affairs has warned that if they are not adequately funded to care for our wounded warriors, we will see an increase in broken families, divorce, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, and preventable suicides. We have a moral obligation to our soldiers to prevent such catastrophes.
Another expenditure often over-looked is known as "reset" in the Pentagon, the reconditioning of military equipment worn down by operations in a combat zone. Many weapons and armor have been destroyed or deteriorated to the point that are ineffective. The Department of Defense will need millions of dollars to fix these weapons of war.
The government is already hardpressed to convince China to continue buying U.S. treasury bonds to fund our stimulus packages and war habits, and the President has already announced that most top-earning Americans will have to shoulder a heavier tax load. Ending the combat mission in Iraq will certainly help us alleviate our strained military and secure our economic futures. However, let us not forget that the President plans to escalate the number of troops in Afghanistan, which will add new strains. Hopefully, President Obama will continue to seek advice from his commanders, his advisers, and the American people to continue his effort to restore confidence in America at home and abroad.

While it would seem like Obama the pragmatist has really changed course from his predecessor, recent history proves otherwise. President Bush, whom Obama had called previous to his announcement, struck a deal with the Iraqis for a phased withdrawal that would have removed most combat troops from Iraq a little later than 18 months. Having secured the presidency, Mr. Obama has extended his campaign promise for a withdrawal by two months and decided to keep 50,000 "support" troops in Iraq until the end of 2011. Yet, political rhetoric aside, these young men and women will be in combat, and they will continue to die in combat. The President's plan largely hinges on the Iraqi government's ability to maintain functioning schools, electricity and water facilities, and economic infrastructure.
There are currently 142,000 troops in Iraq. At the time of this writing, the Department of Defense has confirmed the deaths of 4,251 American soldiers there, with over 30,000 wounded. Most analysts project the Iraq War will cost the U.S. over $2 trillion in total. Admittedly, President Obama's plan is certainly a step in the right direction, but we should not be fooled by the politics that are ever-present in the speeches of our elected leaders.
Regardless of what the administration says, the United States will stay in Iraq or its neighborhood for the forseeable future, which will continue to cost us billions of dollars. The region is politically and militarily unstable and houses some of the most low-cost oil reserves. We have already had a major presence there for some 50 years.
The President has made some admirable proposals to address the domestic effects of the war. In his recent budget proposal, which aims to spend an almost unprecedented $3.6 trillion, he is seeking a 15% increase in veterans funding. The Department of Veterans Affairs has warned that if they are not adequately funded to care for our wounded warriors, we will see an increase in broken families, divorce, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, and preventable suicides. We have a moral obligation to our soldiers to prevent such catastrophes.
Another expenditure often over-looked is known as "reset" in the Pentagon, the reconditioning of military equipment worn down by operations in a combat zone. Many weapons and armor have been destroyed or deteriorated to the point that are ineffective. The Department of Defense will need millions of dollars to fix these weapons of war.
The government is already hardpressed to convince China to continue buying U.S. treasury bonds to fund our stimulus packages and war habits, and the President has already announced that most top-earning Americans will have to shoulder a heavier tax load. Ending the combat mission in Iraq will certainly help us alleviate our strained military and secure our economic futures. However, let us not forget that the President plans to escalate the number of troops in Afghanistan, which will add new strains. Hopefully, President Obama will continue to seek advice from his commanders, his advisers, and the American people to continue his effort to restore confidence in America at home and abroad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
CNN.com
About Me

- Brady
- I am a graduate of Boston University. I majored in political science and minored in history.
My Facebook
My Tweets
Blogroll
-
-
'First Blood' Director Ted Kotcheff Dead at 94 - Ted Kotcheff -- famous for directing iconic movies the likes of "First Blood" and "Weekend at Bernie's" -- has died, TMZ confirmed. Thomas Kotcheff, Ted's ...21 minutes ago
-
Source: QB Lock set for second stint in Seattle - Drew Lock is expected to sign with the Seahawks, a source confirmed to ESPN. Lock is now set to back up Sam Darnold after spending two seasons as Geno Smit...21 minutes ago
-
Google’s Pixel Watch 4 Could Ditch the Pins for Wireless Charging - [image: Pixel Watch 3 Hero] Other than some questionable addition of buttons, these annual updates seem to be as menial as the new Apple Watch each year.32 minutes ago
-
In New Orders, Trump Targets Foes of His Stolen-Election Claims - In a series of executive orders, President Donald Trump has ordered penalties and investigations of law firms and former officials who have challenged his ...44 minutes ago
-
Trump and ‘The Residence’ Share a Fixation on Water Pressure - Paul William Davies, the creator of “The Residence,” talks about overlapping themes between his series and the actual Trump administration.56 minutes ago
-
Trump Boots Obama’s Portrait From Prominent White House Spot – Replaces It With Assassination Attempt Photo - The White House removed a portrait of former President Barack Obama from a prominent spot and replaced it with artwork of President Donald Trump survivin...1 hour ago
-
OpenAI is retiring GPT-4 from ChatGPT - OpenAI is officially retiring GPT-4 and making GPT-4o the default ChatGPT model.1 hour ago
-
The rights for Tequila Works's games are up for auction after insolvency filing - Tequila Works, the Spanish developer that created games like *Rime* and *Gylt* and published games like *The Sexy Brutale*, is auctioning off its intelle...1 hour ago
-
Former Trump lawyer uses cushy new gig to probe political enemies - Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced Friday that she’s launching an investigation into Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy a...1 hour ago
-
Judge demands ‘daily updates’ on whether Trump admin is complying with court order to return illegally deported man - DOJ said it could not provide information on Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts or the efforts to return him to the United States, despite a court order.2 hours ago
-
The morning read for Friday, April 11 - [image: The morning read for Friday, April 11] [image: The morning read for Friday, April 11] Share Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles ...5 hours ago
-
A Writ of “Facilitation”? Court Issues Curious Order in the Garcia Case - The media lit up yesterday with the order of the Supreme Court in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia,…10 hours ago
-
The Left Achieves Peak Political Insanity - Photo Credit: AT via Magic Studio It is all too easy to “solve” problems by organizing protests and shouting obscenities.17 hours ago
-
REVIEW / Caravan SandWitch (Switch) - That VideoGame Blog REVIEW / Caravan SandWitch (Switch) Caravan SandWitch is that cozy road trip you didn’t know your gaming heart needed. It’s The post...5 days ago
-
OKC's Sam Presti is an overrated draft savant - Sam Presti is the only NBA executive ever to draft three future MVPs and he did it in three consecutive drafts. It’s a maniacal stroke of luck and an exe...1 year ago
-
'-30-': An Ending, But Not the End, by Michelle Malkin - When I first started writing newspaper editorials and columns for the Los Angeles Daily News in November 1992, I learned that "-30-" (pronounced "dash thir...2 years ago
-
Bop Shop: Songs From Doechii, Sunmi, The Beths, And More - This week's Bop Shop includes a mix of songs by Doechii, Sunmi, Chung Ha, Broadside, The Beths, and more.2 years ago
-
Hocus Pocus 2 Resurrects The Sanderson Sisters For A New Generation - The Sanderson sisters are back for revenge! Watch the spooky teaser trailer for 'Hocus Pocus 2.'2 years ago
-
Listen to This: The Race To Ban Abortion - A new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast is live! This week, Kate and guest host Nicole Lafond discuss the...2 years ago
-
-
Call for Papers: Fourth Annual Regional Health Law Works-in-Progress Retreat - Seton Hall Law School’s Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy is pleased to announce the Fourth Annual Regional Health Law Works-in-Progress Retr...5 years ago
-
Dem Rep Speier: School Shooting Focus on Mental Illness ‘Fundamentally Ignorant’ - [image: Mass Shooters] Democrat Congresswoman calls focusing on mental health to help stop school shootings as "fundamentally ignorant."7 years ago
-
President Donald J. Trump's Year of Regulatory Reform and Environmental Protection at the EPA - *“We’re ending intrusive EPA regulations that kill jobs, hurt family farmers and ranchers, and raise the price of energy so quickly and so substantially....7 years ago
-
-
-
Facebook post – UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May – about Nice - “I am shocked and saddened by the horrifying attack in Nice last night. Our hearts go out to the French people and to all those who’ve lost loved ones or b...8 years ago
-
Breaking Down Barriers in Sexual and Reproductive Health Reporting in Africa - *This is a guest post by Humphrey Nabimanya, founder of Reach a Hand Uganda. * [image: 2016-04-15-1460736651-1435623-huffpo1.jpg]*Journalists and bloggers...8 years ago
-
Mom Has Stacked Dinner Party Roster - GOLDEN, CO—Their eyes widening in amazement as the 43-year-old rattled off the names of heavy hitter after heavy hitter, impressed members of the Dreesh...8 years ago
-
Republicans are a lot closer to ‘maybe Trump’ than ‘never Trump’ - [image: Republicans are a lot closer to 'maybe Trump' than 'never Trump'] The goal of the nebulous, sort-of-a-thing "never Trump" campaign is to do whate...8 years ago
-
The search for the best middle-class tax cut - Say you want to help struggling middle-class families by cutting their taxes. Say you want to figure out an actually helpful plan to do that, and not just ...8 years ago
-
The Years Of Writing Dangerously - Thirteen years ago, as I was starting to experiment with this blogging thing, I wrote the following: [T]he speed with which an idea in your head reaches th...10 years ago
-
The Greatest eBay Sales Pitches Ever - At the outset let me point out that there’s very little I can add to either of these authentic stream-of-conciousness sagas of Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews,...11 years ago
-
MB4 – “You Can’t See Me” - Marshall Brennan releases his first visuals to his “ButtonUp Music” & “Sky Living” campaign as he pumps out some lyrical heat with “You Can’t See Me.” Pro...13 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-